Being in Control
In order to achieve personal responsibility you must hold yourself accountable for your own actions, despite the consequences that come from those actions. You must understand that what you do impacts those around you, instead of blaming others for our mistakes and/or choices; we can accept responsibility for our own lives. In my opinion, personal responsibility is the key not only to college success, but in life as well.
As an adult, I reflect back to the teachings of my childhood. I was taught not only personal responsibility, but also how to plan ahead, make conscious-ethical decisions, and manage my time wisely. One of the most important ways to accomplish success, whether it be college or personal, is managing time effectively. Once it is gone, there is no way to get more, there is no reset button and you cannot turn the clocks back. As a student and mother, I think about the endless possibilities of college success and make rational decisions to achieve my goals. The time and effort I contribute to my responsibilities and priorities will determine success. Therefore, I approach time and responsibilities as if I am in control.
“Too many students are showing up on campus under-prepared for college; in fact, with scarcely any idea why they are there in the first place” (Long, J. 2010). Instead, most students are more overwhelmed with organizing their dorm rooms, pledging for a sorority or fraternity, and going to parties. For these students, college is a culture shock and it becomes more about fitting in and being known rather than about education, attending classes and maintaining good grades. “And, for most of them, four years later they are handed a diploma, perhaps only barely more educated than when they first unpacked” (Long, J. 2010). From experience, college is easier when you are single with little to no responsibilities; it is especially difficult when you have children and responsibilities other than your education. I have wasted too much time procrastinating on unnecessary things in my life, instead of focusing on my personal responsibilities and completing my degree. I should have taken my degree seriously years ago when the only person I had to worry about was myself. My top priority should have been class and turning in my assignments on time, however I was more interested in parties and what my friends wanted to do. “Lack of personal responsibility is considered one of the main causes of American school failure (Hwang, 1995).
The lack of planning can quickly undermine your success in school (Ellis, 2011, p. Chapter 2 (p. 61)). When I chose to return to college, for the purpose of completing my Bachelor’s degree, I did so without much planning, with no hesitations, or any excuses as to why I should not. I have since, learned more about unexpected events in my life can alter the plan I had set in motion. This time around I had my head on straight; therefore, I began to set daily reminders, short-term goals, and managed to-do lists. As for this time, I was able to stay focused on my weekly tasks along with helping care for my two children and a dedicated wife. As a University of Phoenix student, my goal is to gain the support and experience to be successful in order to make knowledgeable career decisions. I am learning how to achieve the small goals set forth, with the intentions of reaching the type of successful future I have dreamed of acquiring for myself and my family. When I made the decision to finish my degree, I knew it would not be easy, but I was up for the challenge. I have a personal responsibility to myself and most of all, my family to create the life I am working so hard to possess. My personal responsibilities do not only affect me, they affect the life and resources I can provide for my children and my husband. I want to provide my children with support and finances to help them be successful in their futures. I want to be able to give my children the best life I can, most importantly I do not want to struggle with paying my bills or just making ends meet for the rest of my life. Also, pursuing my degree helps me ensure that I will be able to help with the finances, so that my husband doesn’t have to work so hard anymore. He has provided for our family in some of the most extreme weather conditions and did not think twice, it is time for me to help with the responsibilities.
I cannot change the past. I lacked commitment and blamed others for my lack of responsibility. I can only strive to stay disciplined and focused on my degree. However, I will not allow anything or anyone to stand in my way or hold me back. My goal plan has changed a bit along the way, although, I still have one goal in mind, to be successful. I have my Associate’s of Applied Science in Criminal Justice and thought I would continue to get my Bachelors’ in the same area of study, but I wanted to broaden my course of study to open more doors after graduation. I am in the process of deciding the appropriate degree plan which helps me accomplish the career outcome I want. My lifelong goal is to become a criminal psychologist for a government agency. I want the chance to study the behaviors and thoughts of criminals. Also, I want to understand the reasoning for their deviance and the knowledge to recognize the patterns for their horrifying crimes. I know this is not an ideal job. The researchers can no longer blame genetics and the parents are not all to blame, but another possible reason could be society. Therefore, becoming a criminal psychologist will allow me the opportunity to become part of the research and use my education to make a difference.
According to a research conducted on college students’ explanations of their success and failure in challenging activities, there has been some debate regarding the relationship between goals and college success. Some have failed to find a link (Schweinle & Luralyn 2011). Researchers have not found consistent relationships between goals and success due to the fact that goals have been too narrowly defined or do not accurately reflect college students’ actual goals (Schweinle & Luralyn 2011). In my opinion, you cannot have success without goals, whether they are academic or personal. Success comes from sacrifices made to accomplish an important goal or task. Therefore, set goals and work hard to honor them, that is true success. “The final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hand” (Anne Frank).
As a family oriented person and a striving college student I have learned to set personal and academic goals. I set short-term and long-term goals for myself and family, not taking into consideration the challenges I may encounter to successfully achieve them. However, I try to make my goals challenging, so I do not get bored or lose interest. My short-term goals may include easy day-to-day tasks, such as reading assignment or other course material, but those small tasks help me to come closer to my long-term goals, which is graduation. Staying focused and on track with my classes and having an organized home life helps me obtain the grades I want and the outcome I desire. My personal and academic goals may vary from one another, but they both have one result, a better life!
How do I balance my education and my family? First, in order to be a successful student, I have to be a good mother, be able to manage routines and balance specific schedules for my family. I set aside a specific time each day to play and interact with my children. Furthermore, I try to complete my homework and course studies, which I have scheduled each day, by the time my children get home, so they have my undivided attention. Lately, this has been difficult to accomplish due to the sudden adapting to going back to school and my course load. Therefore, I am learning to adjust my daily schedules and prioritize accordingly, and making sure to leave room for error or unexpected events. The support from my husband makes most of this possible and encourages me to stay focused on successfully completing my degree.
Given these points, life is full of personal responsibilities and the choices we make will shape the outcome of our success. To be effective students, as well as, an adult I should be self-disciplined, manage my personal and academic time wisely and set goals that make a difference in the quality of my life. I will strive to be superior not just ordinary, in everything that I do. I have learned personal responsibility from the time I learned right from wrong, continuing all the way through school. As children, personal responsibility meant cleaning our room and taking out the trash. I will encounter failures in my life, as I have in the past, but without failures there are no life experiences. As we grow into adults, it becomes necessary to be responsible for things such as being an upstanding member of society and personal finances, to be successful. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather the lack in will.” – Vince Lombardi
References
Schweinle, A., & Luralyn, M. H. (2011). Success and motivation among college students. Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, 14(4), 529-546. Doe: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9157-z
The article is a great insight on how some college students actually think. Most of the students beginning college for the first time are scared, but their anxiety sometimes gets the best of them. Some students strive to be the best students by going to class, participating, and making exceptional grades, as for other students, they seem to get wrapped up in fitting in and college life parties.
Long, J. (2010, Sep 02). Secrets for college success. Roanoke Times & World News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/749240701?accountid=35812
This is a good overview article from Roanoke Times & World News, which focuses on the irresponsible acts of some college students. A brief insight of under-prepared students is provided, as well as, a description of students’ expectations. The article is enlightening in that it gives examples of irresponsible acts among college students. On the other hand, encourages students that college is an experience that should not be taken lightly to become educated or be successful.
Ellis, D. (2011). Becoming a Master Student (13th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.
This is a textbook to help students become successful students. There are several excellent and pertinent chapters which are devoted to becoming a successful student. If this book is used for the purpose in which it was written, then each student should be able to manage their time, money, and be better prepared overall students. The chapter on time is effective for beginning students, as well as, returning students. Each chapter helps in some way that pertains to classes, course material, and family.
Personal responsibility. (2011, Apr 20). US Fed News Service, Including US State News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/862577526?accountid=35812
This is an exceptional article from our United States Air Force about professional and personal responsibility. This article is interesting to consider in that it relies on individuals to take responsibility for all their own actions good or bad. The article further presents that individuals should not try to condone their irresponsible behavior or fall too peer pressure which promotes bad choices. As individuals we should hold ourselves to the highest standards by perfecting our personal responsibility, just as our military is required to do.
